Apparatus for cleaning tubes.



No. 787,333. PATENTED APR.11, 1905. B. S. 8; G. T. HUGHES. APPARATUS FOR CLEANING TUBES.

APPLIUATION FILED 515F127, 1901 $23 .5 f'wenfa 735 UNITED STATES Yatented April 11, 1905.

PATENT OEETCE.

lItIhTON S. IIUGIIES, OF LOCKLANI), ANI) IJ. \l\ENCIG T. IIUGI'IIGS, OF

ASSIGNORS OF ONlG-Tlllhl) TO THOMAS K.

PETERS, OF ST. LOUIS. MISSOURI.

APPARATUS FOR CLEANING TUBES.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 787,333, dated April 11, 1905. Application filed September 27, 1901- Serial No. 76,754.

To 1/ [F/HHH/ ff 'Ht/If/ (Oil/(F7715 I Be it known that we, BURTON S. IIUenns, residing at llocklanthai'nl ()LARIQNGIG T. IIUouns, residing at Cincinnati. in the county of Hamilton and State of Ohio, citizens of the United States, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in i\[)1)2tlt1tll$ for (leaning Tubes, of which the following is a full, clear, and exact description, reference being had to I the accompanying drawings,which form a part of our specilication. l Our invention relates to apparatus to be l used for removing scales from tubes of boilers and the like, more particularly from the interior of water-tube boilers; and it consists of the combination of a rotary electric motor especially adapted to the purpose with a ceni trit'ugally-operatin cleaning device and of I the novel construction of the cleaning device. device of this character must be strong and of simple construction and also be capable of ready adjustment automatically to the val rying conditions of use; and our invention l consists in the novel construction and combination of .parts, will be hereinafter more I particularly pointed out and claimed. Ileretot'ore the tool or device for cleaning l and removing the scale from the interior of l l l boiler-tubes has been generally and almost universally operated by a water turbine or motor. These water-motors being necessal rily of small diameter, in order to enter the 1 tube to be cleaned, are of comparatively small elliciency and do not develop anything like the power which may be advantageously employed in connection with the centrifngallyl operating tools in use. Besides, a great deal of water-power is necessary to operate these water turbines or motors in fact, a greater power than is ordinarily at hand for the pur pose, and it is necessary to use a pump in ordcr to get the required head. This makes the cleaning of boiler-tubes very expensive. In addition so much water must be used in connection with these water-turbines to clean boiler-tubes that the room or building in which i the boiler is located is usually tlooded, and when the boiler is located in the basement or i cellar, as frequently the case, it is necessary to pump out the water after the boiler has been cleaned, which increases the expense in connection with the use of a water-motor.

To obviate the disadvantages and expense incumbent on the use of a water-motor, we have designed and constructed an electric motor of such form and method-of operation that when connected with a centrifugally-operating tool it may be caused to enter the tube to be cleaned and to follow the tool through the tube. '0 lind that by the use of an electric motor we can obtain a great deal more power than by the use of other means at a greatly reduced cost. Besides this the electric current necessary to operate the motor is of po tential such as is ordinarily to be obtained from any lightstation. The means adopted for pushing the electric motor and tool through the boiler-tube is the ordinary flexible tube at present in use with other devices of this kind, which also serves for a conduit through which to pass the wires to the electric motor.

\Vc also prefer to use in our apparatus a novel construction of ccntrifugally-operating tool, which is connected in any convenient manner to the shaft of the electric motor.

In the drawings, Figure l is a longitudinal section of the ends of our improved motor. Fig. 2 is a CI'OSS-SOCILIOII of the motor, taken on the line X X of Fig. 1. Fig. 3 is a cross section taken on the line Y Y of Fig. I. Fig. I an elevation of our improved cleaner-head, taken at a point to illustrate the cutter disks or wheels. Fig. 5 is a section of.one of the cliamer-heads, taken on the line :3 5 of Fig. st.

Fig. (I is a partial elevation of our improved 5 the various cutter-heads. 9

showing our improved cleaner connected to the motor with the tube for advancing it through the boiler-tube, and Fig. 10 is a detail "iew showing another mode of attaching.

Like letters of reference indicate like parts in the various figures.

W e shall first take up the description of our improved cleaner-head, in which A is the frame, preferably constructed of dropped forged steel, forming the two end pieces of the cutter-head, and are connected together by bar A, Fig. 5, which, as will be seen, passes through the center from end to end. Also passing from end to end are bolts B B, upon which are pivoted and free to swing or oscillate the pieces or carriers C, as can more clearly be seen in Fig. 5. The cutter-heads C C C are arranged in pairs, as illustrated in Fig. 5, and in Figs. 4 and 6 we have shown three pairs of cutter-heads, though of course there is no reason why there might not be only two pair or any number of sets, as desired. It will be noted that the cutter-heads on one side will swing in one direction and those on the other sidein the other direction by reason of the two bolts or pivots B B. e prefer in constructing our improved cutter-head to have the outward or free end of the head to be a little within the circle whose diameter would be taken at a point in Fig. 5 passing through the central bolt A and the two pivotbolts B B in order that when the head swings outward the outer end will not come into contact with the tubes of the boiler in advance of the cutter-disks D, as would be the case if the free end of the cutter-head would extend out as far when in its normal position as the pivoted point of the outside head. These carriers or heads 0 C have recesses into which are fitted sets of steel cutter-wheels D, preferably of the saw-tooth construction illustrated, these cutter-wheels of course being mounted upon the small shafts or pins (4, (Fig. 5, and illustrated in dotted lines in Fig. 4,) which have their bearing in the pieces C, being preferably riveted therein, but permitting the cutter-wheels to revolve. The one end of the cutter-head frame is provided with a screw-threaded recess, as illustrated at 7), Fig. 4, this end being intended to screw onto the shaft of the motor, whereby the same is to be propelled. As will be seen in Fig. A, a series or group of cutterwheels D are employed to more efficiently perform the object for which our invention is intended.

As the cutter-head is rapidly revolved it is of course apparent that the pieces or members of the heads C C G containing the cutter-wheels D will swing outwardly, bringing" the cutter-wheels D into contact with the walls of the tube or casing through which the same is being operated, and the cutter-wheels with their pointed teeth or serrated edges cut any foreign substance which may have formed on the walls of the tube and also polish the tubes themselves.

As it is necessary to revolve the cutter-head at a high rate of speed in order that it may perform efficient work, it necessarily follows, of course, that considerable friction is encountered, and the strain on the cutter disks or wheels D is often so great that breakage of the cutter-wheels is liable to occur or by reason of the friction the teeth considerably reduced. This occurring, the portions or members of the heads C 0 would then themselves be thrown into contact with the walls of the tube and the same be worn down by reason of the frictional contact. To avoid this contingency, we provide locking mechanism which comprises a lug 0, formed on the end piece A, which fits into a recess or slot in the adjacent piece 0, which piece C in turn has a lug c, fitted into a slotin the piece C adjacent thereto. (See Figs. 6, 7, 8.) These lugs and recesses are so constructed that they permit the pieces or members of the heads C to swing out sufficien tl y to bring the cu tter-wheels into contact with the walls of the tube; but should the cutter-wheels be reduced or broken the lugs or shoulders 0 0 0 are broughtinto contact with the adjacent pieces C and prevent their further outward movement or swing, so

as not to permit the pieces C to be brought into contact with the walls of the tube.

We shall now briefly describe the construction of the motor which we employ with our improved cutter-head or cleaner. In using cutter-heads for the removal of scales from the interior of water tubes it is necessary also to pass water through the tube in order to reduce the friction and cool off the cutterwheels and permit, them to do efficient work. It will therefore be apparent that a motor must be employed which is water-tight, as the motor is also inserted in the tube to be cleaned and fed therethrough.

The motor comprises the main castings E, which form the frame and also the poles, as shown in Fig. 3. The castings or frame E are clamped together by a threaded nut E, Fig. 1, at each end of the motor, and these nuts are held in place by the lock-nuts F at the two ends. The joints between the castings E E must of course be made absolutely water-tight, and this can be accomplished by grinding the faces very true, making the joint absolutely tight. The connections to the motor are made through the wires or leads (Z, which pass through the insulated ducts or tubes 3 in the end of the casting, and these leads or wires (Z terminate in the contactpoints f, the latter being in contact with the contact-points f at the end of the feed-wire /l.

g represents soft-rubber disks, which act as insulators and also to prevent any water from working its way into the motor through the ducts e. The portion of the motor G for supporting the feed-wires and ducts, it will be seen, is securely clamped up against the softrubber disks 9 by the lock-nut F, thus making a water-tight joint. In the drawings we have shown the shaft H provided with rollerbearings at its ends, though of course other bearings, such as ball-bearings, might be provided. The remainder of the motor comprises the usual armature 1, commutator J, and brush and brush-holder K, and the lieldcoils li.

in practice the cutter-head comprising the pieces or heads C U U with the cutter-wheels l) is screwed onto the end of the shaft H and then inserted into the tubes of the boiler and the motor set in motion, whereby the cutterhead is rapidly revolved, bringing the cuttors into contact with any scales that may have formed in the tubes.

\Ye have thus illustrated and described what we believe to be the best form of construetion, though it is apparent that the construction of motor as well as the cutter-head may be slightly modified.

\\'e do not wish to be understood as limiting ourselves to the exact construction herein set forth and described, but

\Vhat we do wish to claim, and secure by Letters Patent, is

i. In apparatus for cleaning boiler-tubes, a centri t'ugally-operating tool, consisting of end plates. a spacing block between said end plates, diametrically opposite rods connecting said end plates, a series of pairs of carriers pivotally mounted on said rods, the carriers of each pair being oppositely mounted, sockets in the outer face of said carriers, rotary cutters pivotally mounted in said sockets, one of the end plates and the carriers being provided at their adjacent faces with complementary lugs and sockets so as to limit the outward swing of the carriers, substantially as and for the purpose described.

2. In apparatus for cleaning boiler-tubes, a centritugally-operating tool, consisting of end plates, a spacing block between said end plates, diametrically opposite rods connecting said end plates, a series of pairs of carriers pivotally mounted on said rods, the carriers of each pair being oppositely mounted, sockets in the outer face of said carriers, cutters secured in said sockets, one of the end plates and the carriers being provided at their adjacent faces with complementary lugs and sockets so as to limit the outward swing of the carriers, substantially as and for the purpose 

